THE TOWN WAS LOUD.

everyone was there and getting ready for a baseball game, followed by a softball game scrimmage. the softball game was a last-second thing planned by the home team. they invited a team that lived about 30 minutes away, and they happily said yes.

a green truck drove down the road, a softball bag in the back crashing around. a mother smoking a cigarette drove, singing KISS at the top of her lungs, while a 13 year old girl sat next to her with a pale face.

florence was close to throwing up. the smell of the cigarette her mother jane was smoking, the loud music in her ears, and jane's rough driving mixed together did not result in a good mood. flo had a stomach ache and horrible headache.

"you okay?!" jane yelled over the music, turning to her eldest daughter.

"i'm gonna be sick!" flo yelled back, smiling sarcastically afterward.

"oh, come on! you cant be sick before a game!" jane teased, rolling down her window so flo could get some fresh air.

"actually..." flo started, swallowing quickly after the feeling of puke rising in her throat, "a lot of girls have been sick before! beth, ella, even avery!"

"avery had thrown up before? she looks too much like plastic...i wouldn't expect it!" jane yelled over the music, causing flo to burst out laughing.

reaching for the volume to turn it down, flo turned towards her little sister, who was sitting in the back. in her car seat, her head was resting on her shoulder, sleeping softly. flo smiled and breathed through her nose, turning her attention to her mother again.

and she couldn't have focused on her mother any sooner. the moment jane saw a man holding a bag of oranges in one hand and plastic cups and water in the other, she winked at him and wiggled her fingers.

"mom! stop it!" flo yelled, and nudged her arm harshly, "he literally has a ring on his finger!"

"so what? i can be a mistress-"

"hell no." flo laughed, as her mother flicked her burnt-out cigarette through the window.

••••

A CRACK OF THE BALL WAS HEARD as the stanford's climbed out of their truck. flo's legs wobbled as she did, but then walked to the back of the truck to grab her softball bag

"hey! stanfords!" a blonde girl yelled out to them, as she ran up to flo.

that was avery taylor. flo had always been jealous of her. she had a beautiful face, beautiful hair, beautiful body, and a great personality. she had many boyfriends in the past, and broken all of their hearts. and now at age 13, she had broken 5 boys hearts in 2 years.

"oh. hello, avery." jane smiled at the girl, while rose played with her mother's necklace.

"hey jane! flo, all the girl as watching the game! wanna come sit with us?" avery asked.

"sure. i'll meet you there." flo smiled softly, as avery ran away.

turning to her mother with a weak smile, jane laughed.

"she broke up with jason, by the way." flo said.

"what?! i thought they were doing good!" jane said in shock.

"yup. so if you see her flirting with anyone, it's fine." flo sighed, tying up her long hair.

"good to know. see ya later." jane said, kissing her daughter's head.

flo ran over to her team, who was sitting on a bleacher behind the first base dugout.

throwing her bag on the ground and sitting next to avery, who began ranting about the cute boy that was just up to bat, flo focused on the game.

"honestly, jason wasn't the one for me! i need a new approach! what do you recommend, florence?" avery asked, her quick and peppy voice drowning out the game.

"uhm, i don't really know? have your tried baseball boys?" flo asked, pulling up one of her blue socks.

"yes. remember tyler? best shortstop i've ever seen." avery whispered.

"hmm...hockey boys?" flo asked.

"oliver. he was cute, but i broke up with him when he started talking about other girls." avery frowned, placing her hands together on her softball pants.

that was the only breakup flo convinced avery to do. the blonde was very convinced that he was in love with her, but when flo found out about him talking about other girls like that...she decided to help avery break up with him and talk her through it.

"well...maybe take a break from dating? just look at me. i haven't dated a single guy." flo smiled.

"let's hope it stays that way! i would hate to see you get crushed." avery sighed.

just as avery sighed, a little boy ran up to the player on deck, and handed him a piece of gum.

the player accepted it, and then looked over at someone.

"oh...he's a cutie." avery whispered to flo.

"mhm. sure. he can't swing tho." flo pointed out.

"sure? sure?! oh my gosh!" avery giggled, poking her friend's side.

flo ignored her fan girl-ing and focused on the boy on deck.

"you're swinging wrong." she said, loud enough for him to hear.

he turned his attention to her, as she smiled cheekily.

"am i supposed to listen to a girl in a softball uniform or..." he teased, causing her to laugh.

"i'm just saying. try to swing towards the pitcher. okay?" flo recommended, "right over their head is a great place to hit it. no ones behind them, so..."

"and you'll probably hit at least a single! the center field out there looks dazed." avery joined in.

the boy nodded, but ignored the blonde. he was more focused on the brunette. she had a kind voice.

flo noticed that his attention didn't go to avery, but stayed on her. it was the first time that ever happened, and avery was a little star-struck as well.

"marcus! you're up!" a man's voice hollered.

"to the pitcher, okay?" flo said one last time.

"got it." the boy smiled, and walked into the diamond.

"oh. my. god!" avery squealed, shaking her friend's shoulder's with excitement, "a boy flirted with you! you flirted with a boy!"

"we were talking about how to swing-"

"it doesn't matter! ah!" avery smiled wide, "and he has curly hair? oh my gosh. i've never been so jealous-"

"avery. we literally talked and made eye contact for like...two minutes." flo said.

"but there was love in the air."

"there was pollen in the air, okay? i'm about to sneeze from it..."

just as flo was about to sneeze, a loud crash was heard.

the two girls stood up to get a better view of what was happening, and saw smoke coming off of the ground from a couple miles away.

everyone started picking up their things and leaving, causing flo and avery to exchange a quick hug and then find their families.

while walking to her mom's truck, she saw the boy again, and sent a small wave to him, as she approached the green truck.

"mom?" flo called out, as jane was packing rose in the car.

"i'm sorry, honey. we have to go home. i dunno what that thing was, but we'll listen to the news as we go-"

a loud crash from behind was heard, and a creature was then devouring a person. flo gasped in horror of the scene and ran towards the back of the truck, throwing her bag in there and sitting by rose.

jane got in the drivers seat and floored the petal, getting out of the ball park and going down the road.

"it's okay! we're gonna make it home! and we're gonna have ice cream! and we're gonna be okay!" flo whispered to rose, who was panicking at the sight of people being killed and attacked.

"where the hell did i come from? was it this road?" jane asked herself, as she drove her truck up to a stoplight and ran it.

a creature then smashed into her truck, causing it to spin on it's wheels. the screams of the two girls were blood-curtailing. flo threw her arms around rose in attempt to stop any glass from getting in her eyes.

the sound of the door being tossed open was heard as flo shut her eyes, followed by a horrible scream.

"mom?!" flo shirked, opening her eyes and seeing her mother had vanished.

in a panic, flo began to check all the seats. she was gone. completely gone. and flo didn't even know where she went.

sitting back down by rose, who was sobbing loudly, she wrapped her arms around her little sister as they sat alone. waiting for it to end.

••••

FLO SAT WITH HER ARMS AROUND MARCUS, who was holding the baby as well. he was pressed up against her chest, and trying to block out the sounds of the crying baby in his mind.

flo now had short hair. flo didn't have a mom or a sister. flo didn't know where avery went. flo now had a hole right through her hand. flo was lost. and flo was scared.

she had made a promise to her sister that they would go home and eat ice cream, but that thought of doing something as outrageous as that scarred her.

all because of the incident.

A/N:

hope you liked the starting chapter of act ii!!

edited? hell no <3